San Mateo family, neighbors demand safer streets after devastating crash

Community demands safety upgrades after San Mateo family struck in crosswalk

Residents and advocates gathered to protest long-standing safety hazards at a San Mateo intersection, following a crash that left a father and his two children with injuries.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - A San Mateo family is beginning a long road to recovery while their neighbors and advocates take their demands for safer streets directly to city leaders.

What we know:

Residents rallied outside San Mateo City Hall Monday evening, holding signs reading "Safe Streets for Everyone." The demonstration preceded a City Council meeting where residents called for immediate safety interventions at the intersection of State and North Delaware streets, located near San Mateo High School.

The push for change follows a traumatic collision on the evening of March 28. Family members say Ramon Sandoval was crossing in a marked crosswalk with his 8-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, when they were struck by a pickup truck.

"It's a residential area, and there's a plaza nearby and people tend to not pay attention to that," said Brandon Madrigal, Sandoval’s son.

Sandoval recently returned home after spending a week in the ICU and undergoing multiple surgeries for injuries including broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. His son suffered a fractured skull, while his daughter is dealing with bruising from the collision. 

A history of danger

Residents and advocates with Families for Safe Streets argue that the city has ignored warning signs at the intersection for years. According to data provided by advocates, Delaware Street is part of the county’s "Youth-Based High Injury Network," citing 18 recent crashes in the area, including four that were fatal or severe.

"Having just experienced this, it doesn't feel right for me not to say anything," said Madrigal. "I couldn't imagine something like this happening to somebody else."

Witnesses described a harrowing scene on the night of the crash. 

"I saw the kid in the middle of the crosswalk on the ground, all their shoes are flown off them so scattered across and I see the dad, like 20 feet from the crosswalk just on the floor, head split," said resident Donald Yu. "All the ambulances, cops come pretty fast, and I see all the neighbors, their first instinct was to get into the crosswalk and help them out." 

A GoFundMe has been established by the family to help cover the significant medical expenses resulting from the crash.

While pedestrian safety was not an official item on Monday’s City Council agenda, several residents used the general public comment period to urge officials to treat the situation as a crisis.

"What I'm asking this council to do tonight is to look in your hearts and ask yourselves, is this a crisis, something's different, this is happening too often and it's tearing people and families apart," said resident Kevin Simpson. 

Calls for immediate action

Mike Swire, an ambassador with Families for Safe Streets noted that other nearby intersections have also seen serious accidents, including a fatal crash involving a 19-year-old driver just one block away in September 2024.

"Improving visibility in crosswalks, shortening crosswalks, reducing the number of travel lanes, there's a lot that can be done at low cost, it just takes political will," he said. 

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